Golf: Lee Westwood is confident his internet sessions with swing guru David Leadbetter are soon going to be rewarded with a climb back up the world rankings, starting at this weekend's Algarve Portuguese Open.

Westwood, out of sorts now for over two years since ending Colin Montgomerie's seven-year reign to become European number one in 2000, has slumped to 237th in the world.

The 29-year-old lines up in the Algarve today hoping his two weeks of hard practice near this week's venue, Vale de Lobo, may have already helped him turn the corner to lift him from his current perilous 137th place in Europe.

A good performance in last September's Ryder Cup triumph for Europe proved somewhat of a false dawn.

In five European Tour events this year, Westwood has missed the cut twice, withdrawn from the Malaysian Open with a stomach upset, finished 38th in the Dubai Desert Classic and 29th in the Dunhill Championship in South Africa.

Three weeks ago he was going well in the Bayhill Invitational, but crashed to a tied 67th spot after a final round 78 in Orlando.

"I've hit a lot of good shots this year and it's encouraging," said Westwood yesterday at Vale de Lobo.

"Bayhill I played all right, just hit a few bad shots at the wrong time, a triple-bogey and about five doubles, but other than that it's been really good stuff.

"I've been working hard down here for the last couple of weeks at my attachment Pinheros Altos, talking to David over the computer and then he rings me up twice a week.

"I then go out and work on it. I've got the video camera and I've seen enough people now to know what I'm doing with the swing.

"In Dubai, Bayhill, there were times when I wasn't comfortable with it, didn't trust it, and that's where the odd bad swing came from," he maintains.

"Now I've got a clear picture of where I'm going. I know things will come good soon because the improvement has been quite dramatic."

Also in action over the weekend will be the Irish contingent of Stephen Browne, Peter Lawrie, Graeme McDowell, Ronan Rafferty, Philip Walton and Gary Murphy.

Briton Bradley Dredge, the highest world-ranked player on duty at number 61, will be seeking a Portuguese double on the Algarve in this competition, after his maiden success in Madeira last month.

Dredge's fellow Welshman Phillip Price - another of Europe's 2002 Ryder Cup heroes - is also strongly-fancied in the event which he won in 1994 and 2001.

Last year's winner Carl Pettersson of Sweden has opted to stay on the US Tour rather than defend his title.